Mowing-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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J; GILGHREST. MOWING MACHINE No. 347,481. Patented Aug. 1'7, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

J. GILO HREST.

v MOWING MACHINE. No. 347,481. Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

JAMES GTLOHREST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOWlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIONIorming part of Letters Patent No. 347,481, dated August 17, 1886.

' Application filed September 18, 1885. Serial No. 177,424. (No modeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES GILCHREST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, whichare fully and particularly described in the following specification.

This invention relates to the raising and lowering devices of a mower. Its purpose is to provide mechanism whereby the drivingpower maybe employed at will to raise the cutter-mechanism'frame.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a mower from the outer front corner,

showing my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of a wheel on the drivingaxle and levers for connecting it with the cutter-mechanism frame, the same being shown out of engagement, as when the cutter-mechanism frame is down. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the same parts with the wheel and lever engaged, as when the cutter-mechanism irame is being raised. Fig. 4 is a detail perthe position illustrated being with the cuttermechanism frame down. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the locking and unlocking devices, the position being as when the cutter-barislocked at the highest position. Fig. Sis a detail plan of a clasp-bracket to which the foot-lever by which the lowering is effected is pivoted. Fig. 9 is a perspective of the locking-latch and itspivot.

A is the main frame.

B is the inner drive-wheel.

C it the drivers seat.

D is the tilting lever.

E is the cutter-mechanism frame, hinged to the main frame at e.

F is the finger-bar, hinged to the cuttermechanism frame at f.

G is a bell-crank lever, pivoted to the main frame at a, and having the handle G extended up within reach of the drivers seat. The arm G of the lever G is connected by the link H to the cutter-mechanism frame at it.

' M is the driving-axle.

M is a notched disk or SPlII WhQOl, rigid with the axle. It may be the same wheel which carries the elutch-pawls m, whereby in a familiar manner the drive-wheel B communicates motion to the axle, and I have so illustrated it; but I do not confine myself to using the same wheel for both purposes.

I is a lever having its fulcrum most conveniently on the hub of the wheel M, though it may insteadbe on the journal-box of the axle M or on the axle itself. It is located close by the side of the wheel M, and has pivoted to one end the dog I, overhanging the notched rim of the wheel M, and provided with the tooth 2, adapted to engage in the notches of the wheel M and with the light spring 1 tending to throw it out of such engagement. The other end of said lever I is connected by the link Jwith the arm G of the bell-crank lever G. V

K is a lever pivoted at any convenient point on the main frame, preferably in front of the seat, and extending across toward the wheel B, passing between the stop L and L of the bracket L, which is secured to the frame A, over the axle-bearing ,and inside the lever I. Beyond said bracket the end of the lever K overhangs the dog I, and it has the lug 70', extending under the stop L of the braeketIL, and between said lug and the lower stop, L", there is placed the spring K, tending to hold the lever against the upper stop, L. A guidestud, K, may be secured in the lug L, and extended up through the spiral spring K and through holes bored through the lug 7t and the stop L. The nose '5 of the dog I is elongated and curved upward, and to the main frame is fastened the spur or bracket a to act as a cam to disengage said dog, as hereinafter explained.

When itis desired to raised the cutter-mechanism frame while the mower is running, my improvements will be brought into use. The driver will depress with his foot the lever K, whose end 7:, acting upon the nose t of the dog I, depresses it until its tooth t enters a notch of the notched wheel M, which is revolving IOO with the axle and now carries with it the dog I, and rocks the lever I on its fulcrum, and causes its lower arm to recede, and, by means of the link J, to rock the bell-crank lever-G on its pivot, so thatits arm G rises, and, by means of the link II, draws up the cutter-mechanism frame I l and the finger-bar I All this is accomplished while the wheel M is revolving from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. At the latter position the nose '1? of the dog I encounters the cam a, and as it continues to revolve the teeth 1' is, by said switch, forced out of engagement with the notched wheel M, and the lever I is positively stopped by the said tooth coming into contact with said cam. The spring I, while strong enough to retain the pawl I out of engagement with the notched wheel M, is not strong enough to disengage it, if once engaged in one of the notches, so long as the wheel is revolving; but the togth of said dog will be kept in engagement by the friction of the tooth against the side of the notch until forced out by the earn a, as described.

I will now describe the mechanism for lock ing the cuttermechanism frame in the position to which it may be lifted, and for lowering it and sustaining it at intermediate positions.

At the forward of the main frame, as nearly as possible directly above the cutter-mechanism frame ll, there is secured to or formed integrally with the main frame the clasp-bracket A, through which passes thelink-barN, which is connected at its lower end to the cuttermechanism frame E. Behind the link-bar I pivot to said clasp-ln'aeket A the angle-bar or bell-crank lever 0, having its long arm O extended back toward the seat and terminating within reach of the foot-of the driver, and its shorter arm depending vertically immediately behind the link-bar N, within the clasp of the bracket A. The pivot-bolt which secures the lever O to the said bracket A is preferably below its anglethat is, in the shorter arm. This lever will be hereinafter referred to as the foot-lever 0. To the longerarm, O,ashort distance back from the corner a of the bracket A, I pivot the L-shaped trip-lever I with its horizontal arm I resting on the upper edge of the bracket A, and its vertical arm I standing up alongside the link-bar N, at its inner side. To the upper end of the linkbar N, I pivot the latch .lt, formed,preferably, as illustrated, so that it maybe pivoted at the outer side of said link-bar and extend around over the rear edge and inward across the edge of the arm 0 of the foot-lever f) and over the arm I of the triplever I. It is provided with the spring It, coiled around its pivot and tending to swing it forward against the link-bar N, as seen in Fig. 7, with its lower end standing across the trip-lever 1?, close into the angle of said lever. This position requires the link-bar and the cutteranechanism frame connected to its lower end to be in their highest position, and when in this position the said latch It, resting its lower end upon the trip-lever P, which rests upon the bracket A, which is rigid with the main frame, sustains and positively locks the cutter-mechanism frame at its highest point. \Vhen it is desired to drop the cutter-bar, the driver presses his foot upon the arm O,of the foot-lever O, which, turning on its pivot 0, carries the pivotp of the trip-lever 1 downward, and rocks said trip-lever over the corner a of the bracket A, and thereby throws the upper end of the upright arm 1" of the trip-lever I rearward against the depending latch It, and swings its lower end out of the angle of the trip-lever and into such oblique position with referenceto the arm 1" and to the arm 0' of the foot-lever G that it slides out rearward on the said arms I and O and allows the cutter-mechanism frame to descend; but the pressure exerted by the driver upon the arm 0 of the foot-lever 0 causes the short arm 0- to press forward against the link-bar N and bind it between itself and the front side of the clasp-bracket A, and so to act as a brake to control the descent of the said linkbar and cutter-1nechanism frame; and sufficient pressure may be thus exerted to hold the cutter bar at any desired position. In order, however, to lock it at any intermediate position, I provide the ratchet a, secured to or integral with the link-bar N, upon the inner side thereof, and provide the upper end of the arm I of the trip-lever I with a tooth, p, adapted to engage said ratchet. I also provide the spring S, secured at one end to the bracket A and at the other end to the trip lever P, forward of the corner (0 of the bracket A, over which said triplever rocks, as described. This spring S tends to restore the trip-lever I and the foot-lever O to their respective positions shown in Fig. 7. It, now, after thelatehlt has been disengaged, and while the linkbar N and the cutter-bar frame are deseending,the lever 0 be released from the pressure of the foot, the spring S will rock thetriplever P over the corner a of the bracket A- incidentally lifting the arm O'-and will throw its tooth forward into engagement with the ratchet a, and arrest thereby the descent of the cutter-bar frame. Obviously, also, while the cutter-bar frame is being lifted, the tooth p, riding over the ratchet n, is in position constantly to prevent the fall of the cuttermechanism frame, if the dog L should aeci' dentally become disengaged from the notched wheel M. At the highest position the cuttermechanism frame is locked both by the latch R and by the trip-lever I, acting as a pawl with the rack a.

The advantage of being able to control the cutter-mechanism frame wholly by the foot, and, by employing the driving-power, to lift it by the use of only the slight force necessary to throw the lever, leaving the drivers hands at all times free to direct and control the horses, is gained without sacrificing any ofthe advantages of controlling the cutter-mechanism frame by hand, since the hand-lever G i the other'devices for lifting were'omitted, and

the trip-lever and pawl P will engage with the rack n and lock the parts in position equally well when the adjustment is effected by the hand-lever as when itis done by means of the foot-operated devices.

It will be obvious that many modifications may be made in the specific devices employed in the above-described structure without departing from the essence of my invention.

Thus, a cam or ratchet wheelsuitable changes being made in the connected devices-may be substituted for the. notched wheel M. The link .Imight be adapted to be engaged directly with the notched wheel M, and disengaged by a suitable stop. A hand-lever might-be substituted for the foot-lever K, or a handle added thereto. Instead of the links H and J and the bell-crank lever G, a chain running over a guide pulley or sheave might be substituted. I do not therefore limit myself to the specific devices hereinabove described in detail, though I consider them the preferable devices for the purpose.

I claim- 1. In combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,-the main frame, the drivingaxle journaled therein, a notched wheel rotated by the axle, the cutter-mechanism frame adjustably connected to the main frame, the lever I, pivoted concentrically with the axle, the dog pivoted on said lever and engaging the notched wheel and provided with a spring tending to disengage it, the lever K, pivoted on the frame and acting on the dog to force it into engagement with the notched wheel, and the links and levers which connect the lever I with the cutter-mechanism frame.

2. In combination, substantially as set forth, the main frame, the driving-axle journaled therein, the cutter-mechanism frame adjustably secured to the main frame, the notched wheel rotated by the axle, the lever I, pivoted concentrically with the axle, the dog pivoted on said lever, engaging the notched wheel, the lever K, pivoted on the frame and acting on the dog to force it into engagement with the notched wheel, the spring K, tolift said lever from the dog, and the links and levers which connect the lever I with the cutter-mechanism frame.

3. In combination, substantially as set forth, the main frame, the driving-axle journaled therein, the notched wheel revolved by the axle, the lever I,'pivot,ed concentrically with the axle adjacent to the notched wheel, the dog on said lever engaging the notched wheel, and the cam a rigid with the frame,adjacent to the notched wheel, engaging the dog as the wheel revolves and disengaging it from the wheel.

4. The combination of the drive-wheel, the axle, the clutch-disk, and the raising mechanism, the clutch-disk being provided with the notched rim which operates the raising mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, substantially as set forth,

the main frame, the driving-axle journaled therein, the notched wheel rotated by said axle, the lever I, adjacent to said wheel, the spring-sustained dog I, pivoted to said lever and adapted to engage the notches of said wheel, the spring-sustained foot-lever K, having its end overhanging said dog, the cuttermechanism frame adj ustably connected to the main frame, and the connections from the lever I to the cutter-mechanism frame, whereby the former lifts the latter:

6. In combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, the main frame and cuttermechanism frame adjustably connected, an upright bar connected to the cutter-mechanism frame and a guiding-bearing for the same on the main frame, and the latch It, pivoted to the upright bar above the guidingbearing thereof, and adapted to depend from its pivot alongside the upright bar, with its lower end above the said guiding-bearing, to prevent the descent of the bar, and means for swinging it aside to allow such descent.

7. In combination, substantially as set forth, the main frame, the cutter-mechanism frame hinged thereto, the upright link-bar N, and the guide-bracket A on the main frame,clasping said link-bar, the bell-crank lever O pivoted behind the link-bar, and having its arm 0* adapted to bear against it and clamp it in its bearing in the bracket A.

8. In combination, substantially as set forth, the link-bar N, the bell-crank lever O, the bracket A, the trip-lever I, and the latch R, whereby the cutterancchanism frame is unlocked and its descent checked by the same movement of the controlling-lever.

9. In combination, substantially as set forth, the bracket A, the link-bar N, having the ratchet n and the lever O, the pawl I, pivoted to said lever, rocking over a pivot on the bracket and adapted to engage the rack, and the spring S,tending to throw it into such engagement, all co-operating to lock the cutter-mechanism frame automatically and release it at will.

10. In combination with the bracket A, link-bar N, having the ratchet n, the latch R, and the lever O, the part I adapted to serve both as a trip-lever to disengage the latch It and as a pawl to engage the ratchet a, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day of August, A. D. .1885.

JAS. GILGHRES'I.

Attest:

JOHN B. KASPARI, W. J. LUKENS. 

